Coin-slot mechanism.



Patented; Jan: 11, 1916.

NVEiITOR.

- ATTORNEY u m M 6 w a WITNESS! WILLIAM COOPER, OF DEN YER, CCLGRADG.

COIN-SL531 MECHANISM.

Application filed October 28, 1915.

T0 aZZ whom. it may concern.

e it known that I, lViLLL-ur Coornn, a citizen of the United States, andresiding in the city of Denver, in the county of Denver and State ofColorado, have invented or discovered new and useful Improvements inCoin-Slot Mechanism, of which the follow ing is a specification. 7

My invention consists in new and useful improvements in coin slotmechanisms for pay-station telephones, coin-operated vending machines,and similar devices.

The object in view is the prevention of fraud by the use of coins not ofthe proper denomination or of a wire or other object to operate themechanism. This object I accomplish by a new and improved coin slotmechanism, with transparentsides, wherein the coin is inserted into thetop of the Slot and depressed by means of a spring controlled plunger tospread a pair of spring controlled arms which hold in the slot the coinlast previously introduced, permitting the last named coin to drop outof the lower end of the slot and the second coin to take its place inthe slot.

Novel features of construction and-an rangement of parts will appearfrom the following description.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure '1 is a side elevation showing aplurality of coin slot mechanisms mounted on the top of a coin operatedor controlleddevice, such as a telephone box: Fin. 2 is an enlargedinside face view of the front plate of one of the coin slot mechanisms:Fig. 3 is an edge view of one of said mechanisms, and Fig. d is aninside face view of the back plate.

The following is a detailed description of the drawings.

A. represents the top plate or portion of the device or machine uponwhich my im proved coin slot mechanisms are mounted, and which isprovided with a series of vertical openings or slots, (5, through whichthe coins, released from said mechanisms, drop down into the machine.Any automatic bell ringing or product discharging mechanism, actuated bythe dropping of the coin through the slot a, may he provided, but, asthe same is no part of the present invention, it has not been shown.

B, B, B and 3 represent a plurality of coin slot mechanisms, mounted onplate A and adapted to receive coins of various denominations. Thus inthe case of a pay Specification of Letters Patent.

coins used is generally the same, So that but one coin mechanism.adapted to receive a. penny or a nickel, is usually required.

m ihe coin lotmechamsm is composed or the front plate 1, the back plate9, detachably secure thereto, as by screws 3, the spring retaining armsa and the plunger 5. The inner face of the front plate 1 is recessed toform a vertical coin slot 6 extendlug down to the bottom of said plateto the slot a; in the plate A, the upper-end of said slot extendin at adownward an le from the side of plate 1, as at 7. A semi-cylindricalplunger seat 8 extends vertically to the top of plate 1 from the slot-6.

9 are the spring arm seats in the inside face of the plate 1, at. eitherside of the slot- 6 and communicating therewith at their tops andbottoms, as shown.

The spring detaining arms i are pivoted at their extreme tops to theplate 1 as by screw bolts 10. and are provided with inwardly extendingupper and lower projections d and l respectively.

'11 are springs bearing against the outer faces of said arms t andnormally holding the upper and lower ends of said arms extended intosaid slots 6. it is evident that a force tending to separate the upperends of said arms would also have a like etlect on the lower endsthereof. While the lower ends of said arms preferably intersectsubstanti lly the entire width or the slot 6, the upper ends of saidarms project but a short distance into said slot from either side, asshown.

The back plate 2, which when in place closes the front face of the slots6 and? and seat 8, is provided with a semi-cylindrical groove 12 whichcompletes with the bore 8 the seat for the plunger 5. To providesulficient metal to form the outer wall of groove 12, I may thicken theplate 2, as at 13.

The plunger 5 is cut away or flattened on its front face, as at 14,ending; in shoulders 15, to receive the end of the screw 16 extend ingthrough a threaded hole in plate 2-, thereby limiting" the verticalmovement of the plunger and preventing its accidental escape from itsseat. A helical spring 17 is The lower ends of the plates 1 and 2 areprovided with horizontal flanges 21 and 22, respectivelv, which aresecured to the top plate A or other base, as by screws 23. Where thereare a plurality of coin slot mechanisms, as in Fig. 1, the base flanges21 of all plates 1 are in one piece or integral as is' likewise the caseof the flanges 22 of the plate 2. Thus the plates 1 may all be installedat one time, and then the plates 2; and the connecting screws 3 insertedto bind said plates 1 and 2 together.

The operation of the mechanism is as follows. The coin first inserted,marked C falls down the inclined slot 7 and rests on the top ends 4" ofthe spring arms 4. The plunger is then depressed forcing the arms 4-apart and permitting the coin to assume the position shown in Fig. 2,restingeon the ends 4 of the arms 4. Said coinis in full view throughthe glass panes 19. When the device is to be ppt to use, the slotmechanism or mechanisms are loaded with the proper coin resting on thelower ends 4* of the arms 4. It is evident that a wire or other articleinserted down into the slot 6 through the inclined slot 7 would not beable to engage theends 4 of both arms 4 to spread the lower ends of thearms and permit the coin C'to drop into the machine but. a second coinD, of the proper denomination must be slipped be forced downwardly bythe plunger to force the coin G down through the bottom of the slotmechanism. The pressure of a wire or other article on the top edge ofthe lower coin C would not spread the lower down the slot 7 into theslot 6 and ends 4 of the arms 4 to permit said coin C to drop. Theinclined angle of slot 7 renders the insertion of a wire difficult. Thusafter my coin slot mechanism has been operated by the introduction of acoin and the depression of the plunger, the coin so introduced is infull view and cannot be forced down out of the bottom of the coin slotmechanism except by the introduction of a ing upon the upper ends ofsaid arms in the upper portion of said slot, and a spring controlledplunger adapted to be forced down against said second coin whereby saidarms are spread apart to permit the first coin to drop down out of saidcoin slot and the second coin to assume the previous position of saidfirst coin,'for the purpose described.

2. A coin slot mechanism consisting of a casing provided with a verticalcoin slot having an inclined upper mouth; a pair of spring actuatedpivoted retaining arms having inwardly extending top and bottom endsintersecting said slot, the coin first introduced being held in thelower portion of said coin slot by the lower ends of said arms and thecoin last introduced resting upon the upper ends of said arms in .thenpper'portion of said slot, and a spring controlled plunger adapted tobe forced down against said second'coin whereby said arms are spreadapart to permit the first coin to drop down out of said. coin slot andthe second coin to assume the previous position of said'first coin, for

the purpose described- Signed at Denver, Colorado, this 20th day ofOctober, 1915.

WILLIAM COOPER.

